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For the past few weeks, we’ve been following the dispute between the new Police Commissioner, Chester Williams, and the head of the  Police Association, Corporal Eldon Arzu.

As we’ve reported, Commissioner Williams signed a statutory instrument in January, which amended the police association’s rules by limiting any chairman to only 2 terms. That immediately put the current chairman, Corporal Arzu, in violation, since he is over the new limit. 

The association has filed a case in the Supreme Court for judicial review, and that is going to court tomorrow - but without the full support of the Association executive - and we’ll tell you more about that later. 

But, there’s another issue. The previous commissioner wrote to the association chairman directing that a report on the Association’s audited accounts. Again, the two sides disagree on how that issue is to be resolved, because from the current commissioner’s perspective, the chairman refused that directive. We’ve seen communication from the Association back to the high command that such a report is not so simple to produce, and it depends on 2 other accounts, which the police department controls. 

Well, yesterday, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize sent out a release siding with the Association, saying that it can appreciate the challenges that the association’s members are facing due to these disputes with the office of the Police Commissioner.

Their press release says quote, â€œWe are also aware that the structure and characteristics of the service provided by the Police Department do not really cater for many liberties. However, professionalism, respect, and above all integrity are also associated with the Police Department. For this reason, we cannot fathom the members of this department being in a situation where their freedom to associate is diminished to the point where the high command of the department can make rules, change the rules and technically run or even dissolve the Association if he/she pleases…â€￾ End quote.

At today’s Senate meeting, the press got a chance to speak with Labour Senator Elena Smith about the NTUCB’s show of support to the Association:

Hon. Elena Smith, President - BNTU
"Based on what I've gotten from the NTUCB in relation to us giving support is the fact that we have the association who should be a body that is able to make decisions on its own and then here we have the commissioner sort of interfering in the work of the association. We understand and we know that there are certain levels of management that cannot be members of the association and so if that is so; we understand that they are requesting financial report from the president. If I don't contribute to a fund how do I have the right to request that you provide me with information on that fund? I have no business in that, I don't contribute. It is the members who contribute to that fund and so it should be the members who request a financial reporting from the association. Not anybody outside of that and it is not the police department or the ministry paying for those persons user association dues, it is the members themselves."

"There are a lot of things that has been happening that makes it seems as though the commissioner or the post of commission - whoever that person is or was; that they tend to think that they can then over rule or override the work of the association. That's should never be so and so even though the association cannot be a part of the NTUCB as a union or as unions, we understand their fight and we support what it is that they are doing. We cannot allow our employers to want to come and take over our unions or our associations and not allow the workers to have some avenue for which they can share their concerns and those concerns can then be responded to by the association."